“Stamp” out Alzheimer’s

August 22, 2017

Do your part to “Stamp our Alzheimer’s.” For twelve years Lynda Everman was a silent caregiver. Her husband, Richard, was diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment in 1997; in an effort to preserve his dignity, she told few people what they were going through.“We were both introverts and private people,” Lynda says. “My husband and I were a team, taking care of each other, moving through a situation that was too painful to address in public.”

After she had to move her beloved husband into assisted living in 2009, she went on her first advocacy trip to her state capital, Nashville, where she began telling their story. She continues to be an ardent voice for all families impacted by Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Along with activist Kathy Siggins, Lynda campaigns for a semipostal stamp that could raise money for Alzheimer’s Disease research.

The proposed stamp is similar to the Breast Cancer semipostal: consumers pay a little extra for the stamp and the additional funds go to the NIH for medical research. As of May 2017, the US Postal Service has raised over $84.4 million dollars for breast cancer through sales of that stamp. Lynda and Kathy want the same opportunity for Alzheimer’s research.

Lynda is determined to change the trajectory of Alzheimer’s disease through public policy, increased funding for biomedical research, and recruitment of volunteers for clinical trials. The Alzheimer’s Disease Research Semipostal Stamp is central to Lynda’s campaign for its potential to advance research and public awareness of Alzheimer’s. She has written to every member of Congress urging them to cosponsor the Semipostal and she and Kathy have made countless visits to members.

Here’s where you come in.

H.R. 2973: To provide for the issuance of an Alzheimer’s Disease Research Semipostal Stamp was introduced earlier this year by Reps. Maxine Waters and Chris Smith, Co-chairs of the Bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease and currently has 76 cosponsors. Lynda and Kathy hope to recruit at least 100 cosponsors so they may request a public Congressional hearing on the merits of the proposed legislation.The stamp is bipartisan and noncontroversial; it requires no governmental funding or increase in taxes.

You can help RIGHT NOW by calling your congresspersons and asking them to cosponsor H.R. 2973.

“It is important to share your story and speak out for those who cannot,” Lynda says. “ Please help them and their caregivers—and help us make this fundraising stamp a reality.”

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To call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard, dial 202-224-3121 and ask to be put through to the office of your Representative in the House.

Lynda is a tireless advocate on many fronts. On her advocacy site, Help Stamp OUT Alzheimer’s, she shares research and legislative updates, caregiving tips, the work of fellow advocates, and words of encouragement. She is a founding member of three national networks, all under the umbrella of USAgainstAlzheimer’s: ActivistsAgainstAlzheimer’s, ClergyAgainstAlzheimer’s, and WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s; and was instrumental in launching the Faith United Against Alzheimer’s Coalition (FUAAC), a cooperative effort to mobilize all elements of the faith community in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Deborah Shouse is the author of Connecting in the Land of Dementia: Creative Activities to Explore Together and Love in the Land of Dementia: Finding Hope in the Caregiver’s Journey.